Historic Paddle Illustration: James Peachey - decorated paddles

The online exhibit, Heritage Passages, features some more detailed full-sized images of historic Canadian artwork no longer in copyright. Among them is James Peachey's   Southeast view of Cataraqui on Lake Ontario

Southeast view of Cataraqui (Kingston) on Lake Ontario
James Peachey, James Peachey collection

Library and Archives Canada, accession number 1989-221-5, C-001511

1 watercolour / aquarelle : watercolour and pen and ink over pencil on paper

August 1785

The watercolour painting shows two canoes in the immediate foreground. The illustrated paddles have a simple but clearly visible decorative pattern. They all consist of highly contrasting divided pattern of red and black.

Decorated Paddle Closeup

Decorated Paddle Closeup

Red pigmentation seems to be a commonly used decorative item for paddles in this era. For another example of Peachey's canoe artwork with painted paddles, see this post here

As an aside, New York's Metropolitan Museum of the Arts has a bark canoe model with similarly decorated paddles in their collection dated to pre-1845 (original post HERE) although of course the pigment has faded with time.

Canoe Model with Accoutrements
Ralph T. Coe Collection, Gift of Ralph T. Coe Foundation for the Arts, 2011
Accession Number: 2011.154.6a–p

Circa 1900 Adirondack Steering Paddle

LiveAuctioneers has another post-auction listing of a unique Adirondack Steering paddle featuring the distinct diamond grip style.

CIRCA 1900 CANOE PADDLE WITH MOUNTAIN LION

Surface decorated with (2) stars and mountain lion.

Length 67 inches

The polished and slightly worn grip has an oval, egg liked top grip with the flattened diamond section decorated with a star motif...

While not fully visible in the overall paddle view, there is a burned decoration of a mountain lion on the blade.

Many other Adirondack paddles have been featured on the site before (see other posts here). For those who might have missed it, Dr. Gordon L. Fisher published an excellent book back in 2008 thoroughly discussing the interesting history of the paddles in this region.

Guideboat Paddles: An Adirondack Treasure  

It also features detailed plans and woodworking tips for carving replicas of surviving Adirondack paddles in museums.  Downloadable PDF excerpts provide a preview of the content.

Winchester Rifle Canoe Lady Ad

Nancy McClure's brief blog post   "Treasures from Our West: Winchester calendar" discusses the origins of the company's history of using outdoor-themed calendars with catchy slogans as a marketing tool for their firearms. In particular, a 1909 poster features an “outdoorsy” woman who is all packed up for a back country trip. Her trusty Winchester rifle is carefully positioned right in the center of the image..

 Gift of Olin Corporation

Winchester Arms Collection

1988.8.2923

A closeup shows her gear all laid out including a leather  bag, a handled wicker basket and canvas roll pack all bundled up. Also found it interesting that the closed gunnel canvas canoe seems to have an exterior mounted carrying yoke which extends past the canoe's outwales complete with shoulder pads.

Another Winchester ad from this era was discussed earlier in this post that featured a hunter in his bark canoe with the his paddle propped up supporting the shot. The artist also correctly captured a carrying bar lashed over the centre thwart which was common practice for some bark canoes to take the strain off the centre thwart lashings. There's also a wanigan box resting in the hull with his hat and pipe thrown on for good measure.

Winchester Rifle Ad

 Rod and Gun in Canada

December 1904

p. 270  

Closeup

Historic Paddle Photos: In Pine Tree Jungles

Another find on Archive.org 's massive collection of vintage texts is a booklet put out by the  Bangor and Aroostook Railroad Company -   In Pine-Tree Jungles: A hand-book for sportsmen and campers in the great Maine woods (1902). While flipping through its pages, I came across two photos that clearly show some early wood canvas canoe designs and wonderful paddles.

The first is on page 17 and features a great bushcraft camp scene. Pot boiling over the fire with canvas shelter rigged up. The canoe on shore looks to be a very early cedar canvas model with closed gunnels and no seats and the thwarts mortised into the inwales like in birchbark canoe construction.

Source Link

Between the seated gentleman and the canoe, two paddles rest against the canvas shelter. The contrast isn't the greatest, but by zooming in, one can make out the graceful beavertail shape and slender grip. Each look to have a roll on the top. Here is the closeup...

Page 66 has a vertical, full-sized image of a successful hunt scene. Here is the image rotated. Again no seats in these early guide canoes. A paddle is resting on the ground on the lower left of the image...

Source Link

While the bulk of the blade is buried under the brush, you can clearly see the wide top grip with a subtle roll that quickly tapers and sharply merges with the paddle shaft.

Paddle Closeup

This paddle image reminded me of a similar design on a pair of child's paddles that were identified as Penobscot made by the antique dealer.

Pair of Child's Canoe Paddles

Circa 1920

5" w, 42.75" h

Cherrygallery.com

Also, another recent historic photo post revealed an unknown guide using a similarly shaped grip ...

Paddle Grip Closeup

Original Post & Photo sequence HERE

Woolley and Wallis "North Eastern" Auction Paddle

Auctioneers Woolley and Wallis out of the UK had a  listing of a "North Eastern Native American Paddle" as part of their Antiquities, Pre-Columbian and Tribal Art sale in February, 2015. The 203 cm (approximately 80") long paddle is carved from maple, features a lengthy grip with carved etchings at the base as well as an incised "Y".

A North Eastern Native American maple canoe paddle 203cm long.

Estimate: £500 - 600

Hammer Price £ 1,100

Lot 511 - Source Link

 "Y" Carved into top of grip

Decorative etching at base of grip

Unfortunately there is no date listed but the maple has aged to a very dark patina. However the shape and description seems identical to the the circa 1840 figured maple paddle posted here back in 2008. The original listing from that auction site no longer features the paddle but the description seems to be a match...

ca 1840 Figured Maple Paddle

from Nov 30, 2008 post

Original Description from Cinoa.org:

A Fine Northeastern Woodlands Native American Maliseet or Micmac Maple Wood Single Blade Canoe Paddle. Old smooth and dry patina – the letter ‘Y’ carved to one end. Circa 1840. Size: 203cm long – 80 ins long. Beautifully crafted from one piece of figured maple wood this paddle was made to be used with a birch bark canoe. It is generally considered that Micmac and Passamaquoddy birch bark canoes were the finest of all bark canoes and were built for use on both rivers and the ocean.

Historic Paddle Illustration: William Armstrong's Checkered Paddles

Back in 2009 I posted about a decorated paddle featured in a painting by William Armstrong (circa 1860-1870). The artwork entitled, "Hudson's Bay Store, Fort William" illustrated a narrow paddle with a distinct checkerboard like pattern in red and yellow.


Hudson's Bay Store, Fort William c. 1860-1870 
William Armstrong
National Gallery of Canada (no. 30490)



Paddle Closeup

Recently I came across another well known piece by Armstrong named "Indians Completing a Portage". The rather busy and chaotic scene shows plenty of action taking place. It took a while, but eventually my eyes spotted a seated figure in the lower right foreground with a paddle laying on a log.

Indians Completing a Portage

William Armstrong

1873 watercolor 

Library and Archives Canada, Mikan #2833414

Paddle Closeup

Another painting by Armstrong features this same pattern again. This piece entitled "The Distribution of the Government Bounty on Great Manitouling Island" dates to 1856. The artist once again placed this decorated paddle in the periphery. It is on the far left foreground behind another subject with the red shirt.

The Distribution of the Government Bounty on Great Manitouling Island 1856

William Armstrong

Source Link 

Here's a closeup...

Armstrong was both an engineer and an artist with a great attention to detail. Many have commented on the accuracy of his paintings of the huge freight canoes in addition to his earlier artwork the sailing commerce of the Great Lakes. It stands to reason that his artwork portrays a realistic image of this era in history.

December 2015 Cherry Gallery Paddles

The December list of current items on CherryGallery.com feature more vintage paddles up for sale. This single lot of eight paddles comes from Maine. A few have been painted and carved with distinct grip styles, very similar to the classic Penobscot "step grip". They date between 1850-1900 and vary from 63" to 76" in length. What a beautiful collection!

Native American Canoe Paddles
These eight paddles were collected over a number of years by a couple who recently sold their Maine home and its contents. They are all early, Native American-made canoe paddles with sculptural form and appealing surface.
Circa 1850-1900
from 63" - 76" high
 (priced individually or in lots -  info@cherrygallery.com for more)

CherryGallery's monthly post also features a pair of miniature paddles with some lovely etching decorations.

Pair of Model Canoe Paddles
 The incised-carved decoration on these handmade canoe paddles is very similar to the traditional decoration on Penobscot clubs.
Circa 1900
Each - 4" w, 31" h
$675

The ornamental decoration on the paddle blades has a fern-like theme. The etchings go down part of the shaft onto the shoulders and continue again at the tip. 

Most interesting is the etching done on the grip surface.  Very decorative...